Recently, more rapid processing of silver halide color photographic materials, particularly print light-sensitive materials, has been desired. On the other hand, high quality images are also needed.
In order to meet these demands, a number of techniques have been proposed. It is known that more rapid processing can be preferably accomplished by the use of a silver bromochloride emulsion with a high silver chloride content as the silver halide emulsion, as disclosed in WP-A-87-04534 and JP-A-64-26837 (the terms "WP-A" and "JP-A" as used herein mean an "unexamined published Japanese patent application" and "unexamined published International patent application", respectively).
In order to provide high quality images, many studies have been made on improvements in image sharpness. These studies have been actually put into practical use.
Factors affecting image sharpness of a silver halide photographic material are generally known to involve irradiation and halation. Irradiation is attributed to the scattering of incident light by sliver halide grains dispersed in a gelatin layer while the halation is attributed to the scattering of light by the support.
A general description of these factors is set forth in detail. T. H. James, The Theory of the Photographic Process, 4th ed., pp. 578-591 (Macmillan Publishing Co., Ltd. 1977).
In particular, in a silver photographic material comprising a reflective support, halation from the support causes a remarkable deterioration in image sharpness. Many studies have been previously made to inhibit this phenomenon. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,548,564, and 3,625,694, JP-A-56-12639, JP-A-63-197943, and JP-A-l-188850, and European Patent 0 337 490 A2 disclose that the coloring of the layers of the photographic light-sensitive material with a water-soluble dye inhibits halation. This approach has been put into practical use. However, if a large amount of such a water-soluble dye is used to further improve sharpness, this is disadvantageous because the fluctuation in the photographic properties becomes great or the unexposed area of the silver halide color photographic material is greatly stained after continuous processing of light-sensitive materials. Therefore, this approach is not practical.
A layer containing a white pigment can be effectively coated on the support to eliminate the deterioration of sharpness. This approach is further described in, e.g., JP-B-58-43734 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined Japanese patent publication"), and JP-A-58-17433, JP-A-58-14830, and JP-A-61-259246. However, it was found that if a white pigment is incorporated in the system in such a manner that the image sharpness is sufficiently improved, the physical strength of the layer against "bending" is deteriorated and it becomes difficult to achieve a smooth surface upon coating. Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,548,564, and 3,625,694, JP-A-56-12639, JP-A-63-197943, and JP-A-l-188850, and European Patent 0 337 490 A2 disclose that image sharpness can be also improved by coloring the layers of the photographic light-sensitive material with a dye or the like. However, it was found that if the amount of the dye is increased to improve image sharpness, the fluctuation in the photographic properties after continuous processing of light-sensitive materials becomes great, and, moreover, the white background is greatly stained after processing. Therefore, the amount of the dye cannot be increased to a value such that image sharpness is sufficiently improved. Stain on the white background in a silver halide color photographic material not only deteriorates the whiteness of the background but also worsens color stain of dye images and impairs visual sharpness. In particular, in a reflective material, stain reflection density is theoretically increased several times the transmission density. Therefore, even a minute stain can impair the image quality. Thus, stain of the white background is a very important factor.
Approaches for improving the dyes used for inhibiting irradiation disclosed in JP-A-50-145125, JP-A-52-20830, JP-A-50-147712, JP-A-59-111641, JP-A-61-148448, JP-A-61-151538, JP-A-61-151649, JP-A-61-151650, JP-A-61-151651, JP-A-61-170742, JP-A-61-175638, JP-A-61-235837, JP-A-61-248044, JP-A-62-164043, JP-A-62-253145, JP-A-62-253146, JP-A-62-253142, JP-A-62-275262, JP-A-62-283336, JP-A-62-275262, and JP-A-62-283336, and Research Disclosure, Nos. 17643 (page 22, December 1978), and 18716 (page 647, November 1979), in view of an improvement of sharpness. An approach is also known which comprises providing an antihalation (AH) layer in a color light-sensitive material for this purpose. This approach is further described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,326,057, 2,882,156, 2,839,401, and 3,706,563, and JP-A-55-33172, JP-A-59-193447, and JP-A-62-32448.
JP-A-63-286849 discloses that the optical reflection density when these diffusion dyes or coloring agents such as an AH are used can be controlled to a predetermined value.
However, if the optical reflection density is increased, not only is sharpness improved but also sensitivity is deteriorated. Thus, it is difficult to improve sharpness while maintaining a practically sufficient sensitivity only using this approach. In order to improve the optical reflection density, it is necessary to use a large amount of such a dye. However, if a large amount of such a dye is used, gradation is softened, and dye remains even after processing to deteriorate the whiteness of the nonimage area. This is one of the reasons why a high reflection density sufficient for practical use cannot be achieved. The approach which comprises providing an antihalation layer requires that another layer be added to the layer structure, and this adds difficulty in the manufacture of the light-sensitive material.
Due to these difficulties, improvements have been studied also in support materials. A baryta paper has heretofore been used as a support for color print light-sensitive materials. In recent years, a water-resistant support comprising a paper laminated with polyethylene on both sides thereof has been used. In order to obtain the sharpness of a printed image as obtained in using a baryta paper, titanium oxide or zinc oxide is dispersed in the polyethylene layer. However, this arrangement results in markedly less quality than achieved with the baryta paper which has heretofore been used. Improvements in the polyethylene layer is further described in JP-B-58-43734, and JP-A-58-17433, JP-A-58-14830, and JP-A-61-259246.
A process which comprises coating a paper with a coating solution containing an unsaturated organic compound polymerizable by electron rays containing one or more double bonds per molecule and a white pigment, and then irradiating the material with electron rays at an elevated temperature so that it is cured to provide a water-resistant resin layer on the paper is disclosed in JP-A-57-27257, JP-A-57-49946, JP-A-61-262738, and JP-A-62-61049.
A silver halide photographic material comprising a support having a mirror-like reflectivity or second diffusion reflectivity is known. It is disclosed in JP-A-63-24251 and JP-A-63-24253.
In a reflection type color photographic material, the rate of the development of image sharpness is generally determined by the cyan image. Even if a large amount of anti-irradiation dye is used, the effect of the cyan image on the other color layers does not occur. This is considered a phenomenon which occurs due to the high linearity of advance of red light. Red light greatly penetrates upon exposure and observation. However, the improvement in support materials and the addition of dyes cannot sufficiently meet the increasing demand for improved cyan image sharpness. It has thus been desired to provide further improvements in these techniques.